The month of August is slowly winding down. Bright-colored backpacks and fresh new school supplies fill the center aisles in stores. And flyers advertising all the latest styles for kids from Pre-K through high school are bulging out of the Sunday papers.
It’s time to start thinking about it. Your kids are going back to school.
But starting off the school year on the right foot isn’t just about shopping for the right clothes, backpacks and school supplies. Whether you’re preparing your children for their very first day of kindergarten, helping them transition to middle school or high school, or marking the start of their senior year, there are important safety tips you should be going over with them to help ensure a safe, successful school year. Let’s go over just a few of them.
Getting To and From School Safely
Will your children be walking to school? Riding their bikes? Taking the bus? Or do they have a driver’s license and plan to drive themselves? Whatever way they get to school, the National Safety Council offers solid safety precautions to follow. No matter a child’s age when walking to school, they should know and follow the rules, including walking against traffic, using sidewalks whenever possible and crossing in crosswalks.
Taking the bus? Even if your child is older and doesn’t need your direct supervision, stress the importance of proper behavior both on the bus and at the bus stop. A little good-natured horseplay may be okay in your back yard, but it can be very unsafe if it happens near the road at the bus stop not to mention distracting to the driver when on the bus.
For those rushing to work on busy school day mornings, remember to take caution around school buses and obey school zone speed limits. In most states it is illegal to pass a stopped school bus to protect children getting on and off.
Social Media Safety
Things have changed a lot in the past 20 or so years and social media is one change that tops the list. The internet can be a useful tool but having so much information–not always good–can be dangerous for people of any age. Care.com provides a number of safety tips with social media including the importance of stressing the necessity of privacy settings and never sharing personal information with strangers. Make sure your children understand that what they may casually put out on the internet can last indefinitely, and one poor decision can follow them for years into their future. And as parents, if you want a little extra assurance of your child’s safety, consider a phone plan with parental control settings.
And it’s not just social media that should be a concern but the phones themselves. While there is no hard and fast agreement on what an appropriate age is to allow a child to bring a phone to school, all parents should recognize the importance of keeping eyes off the phone when driving or when walking around, particularly near traffic.
Keeping Safe from Bullies
No one wants to think their child will ever get bullied. But it happens. And there are a number of things parents can do to help their children understand bullying, stand up to bullies and help make them more resilient. Keep the lines of communication open with your children no matter what their age. Know what interests your child has, who his friends are and what he likes to do. Be aware of changes in his mood or if he loses interest in things he once enjoyed. Make sure your child knows they can always come to you or another trusted adult with their concerns. And encourage them to speak up if they are being bullied or if they are aware it is happening to someone else.
